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Sat, 16 September 2017
Modi punishing people by massive taxation on fuel: Rahul Gandhi

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22:09   Modi punishing people by massive taxation on fuel: Rahul Gandhi
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the hike in fuel prices, for punishing the people by the high taxes on petrol and diesel.

Post Demonetisation disaster and shoddy GST Implementation, Modiji is now punishing the common Indian by massive taxation on petrol and diesel, said Gandhi in a tweet.

His comment came after new union minister KJ Alphons on Saturday stoked a controversy by saying people who own bikes and cars are not starving and can afford to pay higher prices for fuel.
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21:35   President Kovind condoles Arjan Singh's death
President Ramnath Kovind also shared his condolences after the news of Arjan Singh's death came in. The President said, "Sad at demise of a great air warrior & Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. Condolences to his family & IAF community."
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21:34   PM Modi mourns the loss of Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh who passed away into the ages on Friday. 

The PM took to Twitter to share his grief. He wrote, "India mourns the unfortunate demise of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. We remember his outstanding service to the nation.

"India will never forget the excellent leadership of Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh in 1965, when the IAF saw substantial action."

The Prime Minister highlighted Singh's discipline saying that when he visited him earlier in the day in the hospital, the 98-year-old veteran "tried to get up to salute even though I said no".

"My thoughts are with his family & those mourning the demise of a distinguished air warrior & fine human, Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh. RIP," he added. 
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20:58   Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh passes away
War hero Marshal Arjan Singh, who led the Indian Air Force during the 1965 India-Pakistan conflict, passed away at 98. 

Singh, the only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank, equal to a Field Marshal in the Army, was admitted to the Army's Research and Referral hospital this morning after he suffered a cardiac arrest, the defence ministry said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the three Service chiefs -- Gen. Bipin Rawat, Admiral Sunil Lanba and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa -- visited Singh at the hospital earlier in the day. 

An icon in the country's military history, Singh had led a fledgling IAF in the 1965 Indo-Pak war when he was just a 44-year-old.

As Pakistan launched its Operation Grand Slam with an armoured thrust targeted at the vital town of Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir, he led the IAF through the war with courage, determination and professional skill.

The fighter pilot, who inspired the IAF despite constraints on the full-scale use of air combat power, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour, in 1965.
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20:24   Wasn't ready to run for prez against reality TV candidate: Clinton
Nearly 10 months after her shocking defeat at the hands of President Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has said that she was not ready or equipped to run for the White House against a reality television star.

The former Democratic presidential candidate said she had an agenda of development, but possibly there were no takers.

"I take running for president and being president really seriously. I really wasn't ready or equipped to run for president against a reality TV candidate," Clinton said. 

It maybe the toughest job in the world, the 69-year-old former US Secretary of State, said.

"I knew that there was unfinished business from the successful two terms of president Obama, whom I had served, but that we needed to go further on the economy, on health care, and so much else," she said.

"I really prepared and I prepared wanted I to say, how I would defend what I wanted to do. It turned out that was very hard to communicate. It was a time when an empty podium got more broadcast minutes than all of the policies that I was putting forth," she said.
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19:58   London attack: Fulham Broadway shopping centre and station evacuated
Fulham Broadway station -- one stop away from Parsons Green -- has been evacuated due to a security alert, according to Transport for London.

The District line Twitter account said: "Fulham Broadway station - Closed while we respond to a security alert."

The Metropolitan Police said it had attended a security alert at the Vue cinema in the shopping complex attached to the station.
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19:47  
Graphic on Market Capitalisation
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19:27   Modi to inaugurate world's 2nd biggest dam on his birthday tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will tomorrow inaugurate the world's second biggest dam - Sardar Sarovar Dam - nearly six decades after its foundation stone was laid. 

The inaugural event, held on the occasion of PM Modi's 67th birthday on Sunday, will also see the culmination of the fortnight-long Narmada Mahotsav - launched by the Gujarat government to celebrate the completion of the work.

PM Modi will also address a public rally at Dabhoi, about an hour from Ahmedabad.

With few months left for the state assembly elections, the Gujarat BJP has turned the completion of the dam project into a huge political event. 

The venue of the event is some 200 km from Ahmedabad.

The Sardar Sarovar project is the biggest dam in terms of volume of concrete used in it. It is also the second biggest dam in the world after the Grand Coulee Dam in the United States.
The 1.2-km-long dam, which is 163 metres deep has till date produced 4,141 crore units of electricity from its two power houses -- river bed powerhouse and canal head powerhouse -- with an installed capacity of 1,200 MW and 250 MW, respectively.

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19:27  
Karnataka DIG D Roopa is awarded President's Medal at Raj Bhawan for meritorious service
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18:51   Kerala love jihad case: Muslim man moves SC to freeze NIA probe
A Muslim man from Kerala, whose marriage to a converted Hindu woman triggered a national controversy, approached the Supreme Court on Saturday to freeze a National Investigation Agency probe into his wedding and alleged his wife was being tortured by her family.

In his petition, Shafin Jahan said his wife Hadiya, earlier known as Akhila, is under tremendous physical and mental attack by her family, with whom she is living, and that even activists were barred from meeting her. He also alleged that the NIA probe was proceeding without the supervision of a retired judge, as stipulated by the top court.

"She is confined to her room and not allowed to meet anyone. She was physically and mentally harassed by her relatives. Some of the Sangh Parivar outfits are also trying to threaten her," Jahan told Hindustan Times.

He also asked the apex court to listen to Hadiya before any decision.
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18:20   Indian priest says Yemeni captors did him no physical harm
A Catholic priest from India who was freed after being held 18 months in Yemen said Saturday that he was never physically harmed during his
captivity, even if his captors feigned hitting him on videos seeking ransom. 

Officials said they had no knowledge of ransom having been paid.

The Rev Tom Uzhunnalil was kidnapped from a home for senior citizens in Aden, southern Yemen, established by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in March 2016. Four nuns were killed during the attack. Uzhunnalil's voice broke as he publicly expressed his condolences.

"I thank God almighty for this day. He saved me healthy enough. Clear mind. Emotions under control until now," the 59 -year-old Uzhunnalil said. "God has been extremely kind to me. No gun was pointed at me."

He said that when the home for senior citizens was attacked, he identified himself as an Indian and he was brought to another room "while they killed the others."
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18:07  
PM Modi tweets following his visit to the Army's R&R Hospital where Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh is admitted. He wrote, "We are all praying for the speedy recovery of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. Doctors are doing their best."
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17:49   Mamata Banerjee warns RSS, VHP against disturbing peace during Durga Puja
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday warned the RSS and its affiliate organisations such as Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad against disturbing peace during Durga Puja, asking them not to play with fire. 

Her comments came a day after the VHP decided to go ahead with its plan of a shastra pujan (weapon worship) at private and religious institutions during Bijoya Dashami across the state, despite CM Banerjees instruction to police to thwart any such event.

Earlier this month, CM Banerjee had directed the police to prevent any attempt for conducting such a ceremony on Bijoya Dashami.

Last month, the West Bengal government had triggered a controversy after Banerjee told that the immersion of Durga idols would not be allowed after 6 PM on September 30 and on October 1 on account of Muharram. 

The BJP had reacted strongly to this move, accusing the chief minister of indulging in appeasement politics.
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17:26   Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh critically ill, admitted to hospital
Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh has been admitted to the Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi on Saturday. He is 98. He was promoted to the five-star rank in 2002.

Arjan Singh is the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to five-star rank, equal to a Field Marshal, to which he was promoted in 2002.

He was Chief of the Air Staff from August 1, 1964 to July 15, 1969, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965.

He became the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force to be upgraded to the position of Air Chief Marshal from the rank of Chief of the Air Staff in recognition of his Air Forces contribution in the 1965 war.

He took retirement from services in 1970 at the age of 50.

Image: Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh greets then US President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan, January 26, 2015. Photograph: Pete Souza/The White House
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16:53   CBSE issues show cause notice to Ryan International School
Taking cognisance of the murder of Pradyuman Thakur, the Central Board of Secondary Education has issued a show cause notice to Ryan
International School, Gurgaon, asking why its affiliation should not be withdrawn.

The Board said the tragedy could have been averted had the school authorities discharged their duties responsibly. 

Earlier in the day, the post-mortem report of Pradyuman Thakur, the seven-year-old, who was brutally murdered inside the premises of Ryan International School, has revealed that shock and haemorrhage was the cause of his death.

The report further stated that the external injury caused by a single-edged sharp weapon and its consequences were enough to cause death in normal case of nature.
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16:17   Fire breaks out at R K Studio in Mumbai; no one injured
A fire broke out at the famous R K Studio in Chembur this afternoon, a senior fire brigade official said.

Six fire tenders and five water tankers have been pressed into service to douse the flames, said the official.

R K Studio houses the logistics of the R K Films production company, both established by and named after Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor.

P S Rahangdale, the chief of the Mumbai fire brigade, said an alert call was received by the department around 2.22 pm and fire fighters reached the spot within five minutes.

"The fire was confined to electric wiring, electric installation, decoration equipment in the 100x80 sq ft area on the ground floor of the building," he said.

The efforts to douse the blaze were on and later the cause of the fire will be ascertained after a proper inquiry, said another official. 
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15:56   Antrix-Devas: Ex-ISRO chief Madhavan Nair summoned as accused
A special court today summoned former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair and others as accused in the Antrix-Devas deal case.

Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal directed Nair, A Bhaskar Narayana Rao, the then Director in ISRO, K R Sridhar Murthy, the then Executive Director of Antrix, former Additional Secretary in the Department of Space Veena S Rao and others to appear before the court on December 23.

The court passed the directions after taking cognisance of the CBI chargesheet filed in the matter.

The CBI had earlier informed the court that sanction to prosecute the former public servants had been obtained from the authorities concerned.

The agency had filed an FIR on March 16, 2015 against Nair and others accusing them of facilitating "wrongful" gain of Rs 578 crore to private multi-media company Devas by Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO.

The probe agency had on August 11 last year filed a chargesheet against the accused, alleging they had caused a loss of Rs 578 crore to the exchequer by abusing their official position to favour a private company.
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15:49   Securing the school
The two recent incidents of attack on children inside their school premises in the national capital region of Delhi have sent shock waves across the country. Parents are up in arms asking the government and school managements to ensure that prescribed safety and security norms are followed by all schools, government as well as private. 

Read full column HERE
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15:28  
JUST IN: Level 2 fire at RK Studio in Mumbai
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15:25   18-year-old arrested in connection to London tube attack
Detectives investigating the terrorist attack at Parsons Green on Friday have made an arrest in connection with the investigation, police say.

The 18-year-old man was arrested by Kent police in the port area of Dover this morning, Saturday, 16 September, under section 41 of the Terrorism Act.

The man remains in custody at a local police station. He will be transferred to a south London police station in due course.

Commenting on the arrest, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said: "We have made a significant arrest in our investigation this morning. Although we are pleased with the progress made, this investigation continues and the threat level remains at critical.

The public should remain vigilant as our staff, officers and partners continue to work through this complex investigation. We are not, at this time, changing our protective security measures and the steps taken to free up extra armed officers remain in place.

This arrest will lead to more activity from our officers. For strong investigative reasons we will not give any more details on the man we arrested at this stage."

Earlier, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the'bucket bomb' attack on the packed underground train at a London station on Friday, injuring at least 29 people.
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15:18   Probe ordered after video of soldiers standing on terrorists' faces surfaces
A video purportedly showing soldiers standing with one foot on the face and neck of slain Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists Abu Ismail and Abu Qasim has prompted the Indian Army to order an inquiry.

The video went viral on social media platforms, following which the army assured suitable action.

The 14-second video is believed to have been shot on Thursday after the LeT terrorists who had masterminded the Amarnath Yatra attack, were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Aragam-Nowgam area on the outskirts of Srinagar.

The army has taken cognisance of the video and suitable action is being taken, said Colonel Rajesh Kalia, defence spokesman, at Srinagar.

With the encounter, the army had dealt a major body blow to Lashkar, avenging the Amarnath attack in which eight pilgrims were killed and 20 were injured.
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14:29   No agreement reached at Indus Waters Treaty talks: World Bank
The latest round of Indo-Pak talks on the Indus Waters Treaty have ended without any agreement, the World Bank has said, while emphasising that it
will continue to work with complete impartiality in fulfilling its responsibilities under the pact.

The second round of discussions between India and Pakistan on Ratle and Kishanganga hydroelectric projects, over which Islamabad has raised objections, took place at the World Bank headquarters on September 14 and 15 under the aegis of the World Bank.

"While an agreement has not been reached at the conclusion of the meetings, the World Bank will continue to work with both countries to resolve the issues in an amicable manner and in line with the Treaty provisions," the World Bank said in a statement.

"Both countries and the World Bank appreciated the discussions and reconfirmed their commitment to the preservation of the Treaty," it said after the conclusion of the Secretary-level discussions between the two countries on the technical issues of the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants within the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The World Bank remains committed to act in good faith and with "complete impartiality and transparency" in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Treaty, while continuing to assist the countries, it said in its statement.

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14:29   No agreement reached at Indus Waters Treaty talks: World Bank
The latest round of Indo-Pak talks on the Indus Waters Treaty have ended without any agreement, the World Bank has said, while emphasising that it
will continue to work with complete impartiality in fulfilling its responsibilities under the pact.

The second round of discussions between India and Pakistan on Ratle and Kishanganga hydroelectric projects, over which Islamabad has raised objections, took place at the World Bank headquarters on September 14 and 15 under the aegis of the World Bank.

"While an agreement has not been reached at the conclusion of the meetings, the World Bank will continue to work with both countries to resolve the issues in an amicable manner and in line with the Treaty provisions," the World Bank said in a statement.

"Both countries and the World Bank appreciated the discussions and reconfirmed their commitment to the preservation of the Treaty," it said after the conclusion of the Secretary-level discussions between the two countries on the technical issues of the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants within the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The World Bank remains committed to act in good faith and with "complete impartiality and transparency" in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Treaty, while continuing to assist the countries, it said in its statement.

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14:01   Ryan murder case: Postmortem cites shock, haemorrhage as cause of death
The post-mortem report of Pradyuman Thakur, the seven-year-old, who was brutally murdered inside the premises of Ryan International School, has revealed that shock and haemorrhage was the cause of his death.

The report further stated that the external injury caused by single-edged sharp weapon and its consequences were enough to cause death in normal case of nature.

Meanwhile, Gurugram's Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said he hopes to reopen school from Monday.

Singh said, "I hope to reopen school from Monday and take over management of Ryan International. Meeting of schools to take place on following safety guidelines, they will be directed to ensure no such incidents repeat".

Yesterday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar promised for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-led inquiry in this case.
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13:49   Manmohan Singh-led Congress delegation visits J-K
A Congress delegation led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Srinagar on Saturday for a series of meetings on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Apart from Singh, the group comprises former Union home minister P Chidambaram, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, and AICC general secretary Ambika Soni.

The team will also meet members of other political parties. 

The panel was formed in April this year after the situation in the Valley worsened because of widespread violence by agitators during the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypolls.

According to a statement issued by the party, the panel also plans to later visit Ladakh.
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13:40  
JUST IN: South African cricketer JP Duminy retires from first-class and Test match cricket with immediate effect
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13:04   Will tax those who can afford it: KJ Alphons justifies petrol price hike
Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons justified the hike in petrol prices stating that the money is being used for the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden.

"Its an intentional decision by the government. We are going to tax people who can afford to pay. Only a person who has a car or bike will buy petrol. That person is certainly not starving, said Alphons.

We are imposing taxes to help the poor of this country lead a dignified life. They will have houses, toilets and basic amenities. All this money that is being collected is not being stolen by the Centre.

It was during the UPA regime that peoples money was stolen by the government. This is not the same government. We are here for the poor and the downtrodden. Uplifting them is going to cost a lot of money and we are going to tax people who can afford to pay, the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Friday said that it would launch a nationwide agitation against the "draconian" increase in central excise duty on petrol and diesel, alleging it has led to a steep hike in their prices.

 Accusing the BJP government of "looting" the common people and "profiteering" at their expense, Congress's senior spokesperson Ajay Maken said the party would continue its fight "until this draconian taxation regime is withdrawn".
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12:49   Venkaiah Naidu takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi, says 'dynasty is nasty but tasty to some people'
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday took a not-so-veiled dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi by making a rather poetic statement.

"Dynasty and democracy can't go together. Dynasty is nasty but tasty to some people," ANI quoted Naidu as saying. The vice president of India was quick to add: "(I am) not speaking about a party or person."

But that afterthought is clearly not fooling anyone.

Naidu's remark comes merely four days after Rahul's speech at the University of California, Berkeley, in which he (rather nervously) shared his point of view about dynastic politics when asked a question on that issue.
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12:09   Gururgam murder case: Ryan school official applies for bail
Ryan International Groups northern zone head Francis Thomas applied for a regular bail in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday in connection with the murder of the seven-year-old student in the Gurugram school. 

Francis, who is in police custody, has alleged in his plea before the court that the Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act was invoked against him and the other school official because of public pressure. 

On account of the death of a child, there has been wide spread condemnation of the school and the occurrence has found wide media coverage to the detriment of the School and its Management, he has said in the plea filed through advocate Jasjit Singh Bedi.

Stating the the bail plea has been directly filed in the high court because of the two separate resolutions passed by Gurgoan and Sohna Bar associations that no lawyer would represent any accused in the matter, Francis has said the transfer application of the trial case from Gurgoan to Saket is pending before the Supreme Court and it is likely to take some time and in view of that he has filed the regular bail plea.
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11:32   Babri Masjid case's chief litigant Mahant Bhaskar Das is dead
Mahant Bhaskar Das, the chief litigant in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid case and the sarpanch mahant (chief priest) of the Nirmohi Akhada in Ayodhya, died on Saturday. He was 89.

With his death, both the chief litigants in the case from the Hindu and Muslim sides have passed away. Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the case, died at the age of 95 in July 2016. 

Though Ansari and Bhaskar Das were rival litigants, the close and cordial friendship between them was just famous as their status of being litigants.

Bhaskar Das, who was unwell for a long time, was taken to the Harshan Heart Institute in Faizabad on Wednesday night after having severe breathing problems. He breathed his last around 3 am on Saturday.
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11:06   Hearing begins in murder cases against Dera chief
JUST IN: Hearing in two murder cases against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh begins at Central Bureau of Investigation special court in Panchkula in Haryana.

Security has been tightened in Panchkula town ahead of the hearing in the court of Special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh.

Dera followers and functionaries had allegedly murdered Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh in 2002 on Chief Ram Rahim's orders. -- ANI
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10:24   Infiltration bid foiled in Machhil; 2 terrorists killed
JUST IN: Two terrorists were killed as Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Machhil sector in Kashmir, the defence spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the Border Security Force said Pakistani troops targeted Indian border outposts and hamlets along the International Border in Jammu district in overnight firing and shelling.

There have been continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the IB for the past four days, in which one BSF jawan was killed and a few others were injured.

Pakistani troops started firing at Indian posts in Arnia sector around midnight, prompting BSF personnel to retaliate, a BSF officer said.

"Firing stopped at 6.45 am," the officer said.

One temple, two houses and three cowsheds were damaged in the Pakistani firing in Sai, Treva and Jabowl villages.

Three livestock were killed in the overnight shelling, the officer added.

BSF jawan Bijender Bahadur was killed and a villager injured yesterday when Pakistan troops resorted to firing and shelling along the IB in Arnia sector.

Two Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory action by the BSF on Thursday, while three Indian jawans were injured in unprovoked firing and shelling by Pakistani troops along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Poonch districts on Wednesday.  -- PTI
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09:48   Our options on North Korea effective and overwhelming: Trump
A day after North Korea fired an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan, President Donald Trump said he is confident that the United States' options towards North Korea are 'effective and overwhelming'.

"After seeing your capabilities and commitment here today, I am more confident than ever that our options in addressing this threat are both effective and overwhelming," Trump said in his address to air force personnel and families on the 70th anniversary of the US Air Force.

Trump said America and its allies will never be intimidated.

"We will defend our people, our nations, and our civilisation from all who dare to threaten our way of life. This includes the regime of North Korea, which has once again shown its utter contempt for its neighbours and for the entire world community," he said.

North Korea yesterday fired an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean.

But the North American Aerospace Defense Command had said the ballistic missile did not pose a threat to North America.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis spoke over phone with his Japanese counterpart Defense Itsunori Onodera following the latest North Korean missile launch, the Pentagon said.

"The secretary reassured his Japanese counterpart of America's unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan and the broader security of the region," Director of Defense Press Operations Colonel Rob Manning said.

"Mattis and Onodera agreed that the North Korean provocation called for a strong demonstration of a unified front between the US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, and agreed on the importance of robust trilateral defense cooperation between the three nations," he said.

Mattis told reporters on his way to Mexico that as a result of the North Korean missile test, tens of millions of Japanese people were seen going into duck and cover, which was second time that they've had to do that since World War II.

"I believe it will further North Korea's isolation -- diplomatic and economic isolation -- because more and more nations are realising there's simply no collaboration with the international community. There's a dismissal of international concern, unified UN Security Council concerns," he said.

"I think they're deepening their isolation, economic and diplomatic. And right now, I don't have any more forensics on it. That takes us a little while, as we amass everything and analyse it," Mattis said.

Responding to a question, Mattis said he is not aware of any effort on the part of South Korea to shoot down the North Korean missile.

"The South Korean government said they fired a missile within minutes afterwards, from their coastline. It was a short-range missile, obviously, simply to make clear that they have the capability to defend themselves," he said.  -- PTI
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09:11   India slams OIC for comments on Kashmir at the UN
India has hit back at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for raking up the Kashmir issue at the United Nations, saying the grouping has no locus standi to comment on its internal affairs.

In a strong reaction to a statement made by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC at the UN, India said Jammu and Kashmir is an 'integral and inseparable' part of it, and advised the organisation to refrain from making such references in future.

'India notes with utmost regret that the OIC statement contains factually incorrect and misleading references to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inseparable part of India,' Sumit Seth, first secretary at India's Permanent mission to the UN in Geneva said.

He made the statement exercising India's Right of Reply in response to comments made by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC.

"India outrightly rejects all such references. The OIC has no locus standi on India's internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future," Seth said.

Speaking on behalf of the OIC, Pakistan had lambasted India on the Kashmir issue.

The OIC is a 57-nation grouping which claims to be the collected voice of Muslims across the world.  -- PTI
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08:33   IS claims London train attack; UK raises threat levels
The Islamic State terror group has claimed the 'bucket bomb' explosion on a packed underground train at a London station on Friday.

Meanwhile, number of injured rose to 29 in the fifth terrorist attack this year, which Prime Minister Theresa May said was 'clearly intended to cause significant harm'.

The United Kingdom's terror threat level was raised to critical, which means an attack is imminent, hours after the explosion.

'The bombing on a metro in London was carried out by a detachment of the Islamic State,' it said in a statement published by its Amaq propaganda agency.

The explosion, on a District Line Tube in the British capital's southwest, occurred as the train pulled into Parsons Green station.

Commuters said they heard a bang and saw a fireball inside the carriage when the 'bucket bomb' exploded.

Several people suffered facial burns, some reportedly were even trampled in the rush to escape.

But none of the injuries were life threatening.

Pictures of a white bucket on fire inside a supermarket bag, with wires trailing on to the carriage floor of the train went viral on social media. -- PTI

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